1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an automatic film transporting mechanism in a photographic camera and, more particularly, to an automatic film transporting mechanism for transporting a photosensitive element, on which an image of an object to be photographed is reproduced, a portion of which transporting mechanism is incorporated into a hingedly supported lid which is provided at the rear of the camera for selectively opening and closing a film receiving chamber of the camera.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A conventional film pack frequently used with a photographic camera of self-processing type is known as accommodating therein a plurality of self-developing film units each including a stack of photosensitive sheets and a stack of image receiving sheets corresponding in number to said photosensitive sheets. The photosensitive sheets and the image receiving sheets are respectively positioned on both sides of a presser plate acting within the film unit pack to press the photosensitive sheets so as to be successively brought into a position ready to be exposed and facing towards the object to be photographed whenever the front most photosensitive sheet is withdrawn. Withdrawal of each of the photosensitive sheets after it has been exposed is carried out by outwardly pulling a related tab, which projects outwardly of the photographic camera, thereby permitting the front most photosensitive sheet to be transferred rearwardly of the presser plate. The photosensitive sheet that has been transported rearwardly of the presser plate is superposed to or aligned with a corresponding one of the image receiving sheets. As the tab is further pulled, the photosensitive sheet overlapping the corresponding image receiving sheet emerges together with said corresponding image receiving sheet out of said film unit pack through an exit slit formed in said pack at one end, and then passes through a gap between a pair of juxtaposed pressure applying rolls. As both the photosensitive sheet and the corresponding image receiving sheet pass through the juxtaposed pressure applying rolls, a diffusion transfer process takes place with a known viscous processing composition spreading from one end to the other between the photosensitive and image receiving sheets.
In the self-processing photographic camera utilizing the film pack of the type referred to above, employment of an automatic drive, such as an electrical motor or a clockwork mechanism, in a manner heretofore proposed in transporting the film, often provokes a lot of problems due to the fact that, in order for each film unit to travel or be transported in the manner as hereinbefore described, some parts of the film transporting mechanism should be installed in the camera adjacent the front of the film pack and the other in the camera adjacent the rear of the same film pack. On the other hand, adjacent the rear of the film pack housed within the film pack receiving chamber of the camera, there usually exists a hingedly supported lid for selective opening and closure of the film pack receiving chamber and, if some parts of the film transporting mechanism are operatively installed in the hingedly supported lid, a satisfactory and efficient mechanical linkage between them and the other parts which are operatively installed in the body of the camera would not be established with simple and compact structure.
Accordingly, an essential object of the present invention is to provide a construction wherein a portion of the film transporting mechanism for transporting a self-developing film unit in a predetermined manner is installed in the hingedly supported lid of the photographic camera in a compact structure while the other portion is installed in the body of the camera, thereby substantially overcoming the problems heretofore encountered in the art concerned.
According to the present invention, the aforesaid object can be simply accomplished by operatively linking the portions of the film transporting mechanism in the hingedly supported lid on one hand and in the body of the camera on the other hand to each other through a support spindle which is used to hingedly support the lid to the body of the camera. More specifically, according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the support spindle is, on one hand, mounted with a pinion coaxial with said support spindle and, on the other hand, the hingedly supported lid has an inside surface mounted with a toothed rack for linear movement along the inside surface thereof, said pinion and said toothed rack being constantly engaged to each other irrespective of the selective opening and closing of the hingedly supported lid.
Operation of the film transporting mechanism component in the body of the camera can be transmitted to the film transporting mechanism component in the hingedly supported lid through the constant engagement between the pinion and toothed rack whereby the self-developing film unit can be transported by a hook member movable together with the toothed rack and engaging the film unit.
Means for operatively associating the film transporting mechanism components in the body of the camera one hand and in the hingedly supported lid on the other hand, may not be limited to the hereinabove and hereinafter described arrangement. However, this arrangement is advantageous in that the film transporting components are constantly engaged to each other irrespective of the positioning of the hingedly supported lid in relation to the body of the camera without requiring any complicated structural part to be installed in the hingedly supported lid and in that, even when the hingedly supported lid is closed, the hook member of the film transporting mechanism component in the hingedly supported lid automatically occupies a predetermined position in relation to the film units.